


Zombie Wars

by AnimeShipper12, notcompletelysane



Category: Toshokan Sensou | Library War
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, F/M, Underground Bunker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:55:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23238811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimeShipper12/pseuds/AnimeShipper12, https://archiveofourown.org/users/notcompletelysane/pseuds/notcompletelysane
Summary: Iku has survived the zombie apocalypse, along with her best friend Shibasaki and neighbor Marie. Being the strongest, fastest, and most experienced, Iku is tasked with supply runs. During one of her runs, instead of supplies, Iku shows up with 5 strangers. Daily life starts to shift for the new group.I really suck at summaries and updating constantly so... bare with me I guess? I just wanted to see more Library Wars fics so I might as well start writing some...Also, I completely disregarded a lot of things. Such as how solar power and generators work, and how long fuel lasts. I figured, no need to break my head trying to find a way for it to flow well with my story soooo deal with it, I guess? If you want...
Relationships: Doujou Atsushi/Kasahara Iku, Mikihisa Komaki/Marie Nakazawa, Ryuusuke Genda/Maki Orikuchi, Shibasaki Asako/Tezuka Hikaru
Comments: 4
Kudos: 8





	1. Chapter 1

Zombies. 

It was a word, a theory, an idea. It was the main focus of scary movies that people would watch with families, friends, and loved ones on scary movie night. It was a popular genre in fiction stories. A difficult boss in video games. 

It was everywhere, it was widely talked about. Everyone understood and knew what it meant. 

Yet no one was prepared. No one took it seriously when it first appeared in newspaper articles, or when it appeared on every channel. 

Everyone understood it, yet no one was prepared.

No one was ready for it to become a reality. 

* * *

  


“Good morning, Marie.” Kasahara signed as she drew the younger girl's attention away from trimming the dead leaves off of the plant in front of her. Kasahara smiled when the gesture was returned with a wide smile. Marie Nakazawa was one of the most precious beings Iku Kasahara had left. 

“I take it everything went well?” Asako Shibasaki questioned. Kasahara nodded and smiled at her best friend, the other most precious being she had left. The world had gone to shit and left the three girls together in the aftermath. Sensing the gloomy direction her thoughts were heading in, Kasahara turned her attention to the two girls now busy going over a list together. 

Kasahara went about her morning tea routine before joining the girls at the kitchen island. It was a Wednesday, which meant supply runs. Kasahara, being the fastest, strongest, and most experienced of the three, went out every Wednesday and Sunday to scour the city for supplies. Not that they needed any, Kasahara and Marie were lucky enough to have paranoid families. 

“Hey, you think you’d be able to stop by your old job?” Shibasaki questioned as she looked over the list once more. Marie watched their moving lips closely so she wouldn’t miss anything. 

Kasahara took a sip of her tea as she pondered the question before shrugging. 

“It’s a little bit out of the way, but yeah I don’t see why not. Is there something specific I should be looking for?” Kasahara finished her tea before leaning over the island to peer at the list in front of the other two girls. 

“Well, I know they’re not needed right this very moment, but it’d be better to pick up the last few batteries left for Marie’s hearing aid.” Kasahara nodded as she walked over to a drawer and pulled out a map of the city. 

“Yeah, that’s true. Alright well, I was planning on exploring around the neighborhood a few blocks down, but I could put that off until Sunday. I’ll head over to the pharmacy and see what I can find. It’s been a while since I saw any other raiders in town, so it would probably be better to stick a little closer to home. Just in case.” Kasahara caught a slightly worried look out of the corner of her eye and glanced over. Marie had paled a little and was fidgeting with her plants. Shibasaki had caught the fidgeting as well and reached over to place her hand on Marie’s.

“We will never let anything happen to you again, Marie, I promise. That’s why you and Shibasaki are going to be down in the bunker while I’m gone.” Kasahara firmly stated as she moved around the counter to hug the younger girl. Once she pulled away she gave her two best friends a smile as she folded up the map. “I’ll be heading out in about thirty minutes. That give you two enough time to get things done up here?” 

Marie and Shibasaki nodded as they set about cleaning up their messes. Kasahara nodded and cleaned out her cup before heading upstairs to get ready. She browsed through her closet and quickly found her supply run clothes. It consisted of a dark grey long sleeved shirt, a black sweater, a pair of heavy dark jeans, and black steel toe combat boots. After she changed, she grabbed her backpack, making sure to pack a first aid kit, flashlight, and a couple of water bottles. 

With everything packed, Kasahara reached into her dresser drawer and pulled out her handgun. She stared at the weapon in her hand for a few minutes before checking it was loaded and strapping it to her thigh. It was for worst case scenarios. She was a terrible shot, so she preferred to use other weapons. Especially since using such a loud weapon was now extremely dangerous. 

By the time Kasahara made her way downstairs, the other two girls were waiting patiently by the door. It had become routine, every time Kasahara had to leave for a supply run, both girls would see her off and then head down to the bunker. There they would tend to the plants in the greenhouse, take inventory of all their items, and spend the rest of the time in the library reading and watching the video feed from the cameras. 

“Get back safely. Don’t do anything reckless.” Shibasaki warned as she handed Kasahara a pair of gloves. 

Marie smiled and gave the taller girl a tight hug before heading back to stand beside Shibasaki. “Be careful.” She signed as she handed Kasahara the two way radio. She nodded and ruffled both of the girl's hair before attaching the radio to her waist and heading out. 

Kasahara had a fifteen minute walk through the woods before she would arrive at any buildings. She walked as quietly as possible and stabbed any zombies, making sure to destroy the brain. The woods were quiet, almost all the animals that used to live there disappeared. She would be lying if she said she didn’t miss it. Walking through the woods used to be her favorite pastime whenever she was visiting her parents. 

Kasahara sighed as she saw the first signs of buildings peeking through the trees and pulled on her gloves. Once she cleared the trees she ducked down behind a couple of abandoned cars, peeking over to map out the safest route to her old job. It was only two streets down from where she was currently hiding. The problem wasn’t the distance, it was the amount of zombies stumbling around, tuning in to any sound. She glanced around once more before sneaking around the car, across the street, and down one block, making sure to stay hidden the entire time. As soon as she reached the halfway mark, she made a detour into an alley and hoisted herself up onto the emergency escape ladder, silently making her way up to the roof. 

Kasahara let out a relieved sigh as she stretched out her muscles and peered over the rooftop, spotting more zombies than she had initially intended to get through lingering around. She paced slowly as she let her eyes roam over the mess of moving bodies, looking for the clearest pathway. She froze as she let her eyes fall to one of the zombies. Something about the way it moved was different from the others. She watched the zombie for a few more minutes before glancing around at the others again.

“Shit. You’ve got to be kidding me.” Kasahara chewed on her lip as she let her eyes roam over five different zombies. “There.” She spoke softly to herself as she watched one of the different zombies break away from the rest of them and jog into the store she was supposed to be heading towards. 

She cursed again as her eyes roamed over the other four left on the road, making sure to keep an eye on them. She watched as another broke away and headed, slower than the first, to the ramen shop next to the pharmacy. 

“Damn...” Kasahara crouched down, so as not to be seen, and grabbed the radio at her waist and held the talk button down. 

“Shibasaki… pick up, we got a problem.” Kasahara let her eyes follow the remaining three who were cautiously searching the street while pretending to be zombies. 

“I’m here. What’s the problem?” Kasahara jumped at the crackly voice coming through, too focused on the people below who were joined again by their friend from the ramen shop. 

“Possible raiders… I’m on the rooftop scoping out the street and store, looks like there might be five of them.” Kasahara watched as the group of people slowly started moving closer to each other, she noted how they were sending subtle hand signals. 

“Damn… get out of there, Iku… don’t risk it. You can always try another day.” Kasahara let her eyes travel away from the group and back towards the street she had just snuck through. Checking to see if she would have a clear path through or if she would need to run back by sticking to the roofs. 

She raised the radio and pressed the button to reply back as she glanced back towards the group from before and felt her blood freeze. “Fuck!” Kasahara quickly threw her body down on the ground and thought of her options. 

“Iku?! What’s going on?? Iku?” Kasahara cursed as she slowly rose, just enough to peek over the wall. Before she had thrown herself down, she had met one pair of eyes.

Now there were four pairs of eyes trained on her. She watched as the tall muscular one slowly raised a finger and pointed at her before slowly pointing at the spot in front of him. Kasahara clenched her teeth as she slowly stood up, no reason to hide anymore now that she’d been spotted. She raised the radio to her mouth and replied back to Shibasaki’s frantic cries for an explanation. 

“They’ve seen me, they know I’m here.” Kasahara watched as the muscular man made the same motion again looking slightly impatient. Then she let her eyes drift towards the shortest member of the group who had silently moved away from his friends. She watched as he quickly and quietly took down a zombie who was getting too close, without the rest of the cluster noticing. 

“Shit, Iku! Run, get out of there!” Kasahara could faintly hear her friend's panicked voice as she quickly glanced around forming a plan of escape. She would only get one chance at this, especially if the group below were as skilled as they looked. 

“Calm down, Shibasaki, I got a plan. I’m going to be offline for a bit, but if this works I should be home within the hour. I need you to listen to me carefully.” Kasahara smirked as she spotted a pile of trash not too far from the group. 

“Stay safe, Iku. I’m listening, what do you need me to do.” Kasahara watched as the muscular man motioned for her to come down again. She noted how his posture gave away his impatience and frustration. 

“I’ll be home soon, don’t worry. Go to my room in the bunker. By my bed I have an old record player. Put something on, as loud as you possibly can and hold the radio next to it. Just keep playing music.” Kasahara felt a chill creep down her spine as she saw the burly man motion to two of his friends. She watched as they slowly started creeping down the street in her direction. She jumped when music started blasting from her radio and quickly turned up the volume as high as it would go. She watched triumphantly as the people below her froze at the noise. She glanced around quickly, noticing the zombies heading in her direction before looking back to the group. 

“Sorry, guys! Not today!” She shouted, watching as their faces showed their surprise. With one last glance, she took a deep breath, drew her arm back and launched the radio from her hand. She watched as it flew gracefully through the air to land perfectly in the trash pile closest to them. 

She took a second to watch their expressions transform into ones of panic as the horde of zombies turned towards the direction of the noise. She spotted the person from before, who went into the store, run out to join the rest of the group. She watched for as long as she could before turning tail and making her way quietly down the emergency escape. 

Kasahara paused at the end of the alley to check if the road was clear enough for her to pass through. She cheered internally when she spotted only a couple of zombies left. As quickly and quietly as she could, she moved onto the street and made her way back towards the woods, making sure to stay hidden. 

Kasahara paused near an empty laundromat and glanced around the building’s edge, making sure the short sprint across the road would be a zombie free one. She sighed as she spotted two zombies in the way, staying silent, she crept behind the closest one and brought it down quickly. She glanced over her shoulder towards the remaining zombie and decided it’d be best to continue towards the woods. 

The pounding in her chest settled once she was safe between the trees. She glanced back towards the remaining zombie before stretching and heading further into the woods. Kasahara sighed as she made a mental note of what she needed to look for the next time she went on a run. 

“There! Get her!” Kasahara pulled herself from her thoughts just as a heavy weight tackled her to the ground. Letting her instincts kick in, Kasahara pushed off the ground with all her strength and threw herself backwards, landing on the person who tackled her. Right then, the arms around her waist loosened for a fraction of a second. 

Taking every chance she could, Kasahara used that moment to fully turn to face the body below her, she sat up quickly straddling the others waist before launching into a full blown attack. She ignored the voices around her as she let her fists pummel the body beneath her. She managed to get two good hits in before another set of arms were wrapping around her and dragging her down to the ground again. 

Kasahara bucked and kicked, making sure to claw and scratch anything she could get her hands on. If she was going down, it wasn’t going to be without a fight. She put all of her energy into getting out of the arms pinning her to the ground. Sometime during her struggle she had failed to realize her new attacker had managed to get his arms on her wrists, pinning them down tightly above her, while someone else had decided to sit on her legs to keep them from flailing. 

“Shit, stop struggling.” Kasahara heard her captor grunt into her ear. 

“Fuck you! Let me go!” She hissed as she tried to buck her captors off of her. 

She spent the next few minutes struggling, before she tired herself out and let her limbs finally rest. She frowned up at the sky peeking through the tree branches, hating how quickly she had given up. No matter how hard she tried, there was no way she was going to be free of the two men who had her pinned. She hated it, hated the fact that no matter how fit and strong she was, she would never be a match for men. 

Kasahara sighed and focused her attention on her breathing, she wasn’t sure when she started having trouble breathing, but now that she was aware of it she also became aware of the soft words being spoken to her. 

“You need to relax, I know this is a difficult situation but we’re not going to hurt you. I promise I won’t let anyone hurt you, but you need to focus on your breathing.” She closed her eyes and mentally worked through her breathing exercises, when she was younger she frequently had panic attacks. Those breathing exercises came in handy at times like this. 

“That’s it, deep breath in.” Kasahara opened her eyes and let her gaze finally land on the face of the person speaking to her. She couldn’t help the glare that took over her features. She swore she could see the man's expression switch to one of amusement. 

“What the hell is going on here!” Kasahara felt her body jump in response to the booming new voice. 

“Sir? We caught the girl that caused that mess back there.” She heard another voice respond.

“Looks like she got in a few good hits to you too, Tezuka. Komaki, Dojo, release her.” Kasahara frowned in confusion at the same time she heard a soft voice question the order. 

“Release her? But she’ll run if we do.” Kasahara nodded as if to answer the statement made. 

She heard his heavy footsteps shuffle closer before her view of the sky was obstructed by the huge bear of a man. “Shit...” She whispered. She stared at the face of the man smirking down at her. 

“We need her to trust us. Keeping her restrained won’t earn us anything.” The man commented as he made a motion with his hands, instantly Kasahara felt the weight on her body lift. She glanced around at the two men who had been holding her down, before slowly sitting up. She cursed and quickly shoved off her backpack, bringing it around to her lap, while ignoring the people surrounding her. 

Kasahara dug through her bag and cursed again, “Dammit!” The group of people watched as she pulled out two busted water bottles and a waterlogged flashlight. They watched as she quickly took the flashlight apart and dried the batteries before sighing and putting the pieces back into her soaked backpack. She took her time, gathering the courage to finally look up at the group of people watching her. 

“We’re not going to harm you. I’m Ryuusuke Genda, leader of this little dysfunctional group. I’m sorry if we scared you earlier.” Kasahara let her eyes roam over the tall muscular male before taking his outstretched hand and letting him help her up. Now standing, she let her eyes fall to his crudely bandaged arm. This was the group she saw in the city. She mentally groaned and stepped back a bit from the people surrounding her. 

Genda chose to ignore the step back and continued speaking, “The beautiful lady over there keeping watch for zombies is Maki Orikuchi. The brown haired guy who is almost always smiling is Mikihisa Komaki. The short frowning black haired gentleman is Atsushi Dojo. Last but not least, the tall black haired man sporting a swollen red cheek, courtesy of you, is Hikaru Tezuka.” 

Kasahara snorted at the comment made about Tezuka. She smirked at the glare shot towards her from said man. “Good, he deserved it.” 

“I deserved it?! That’s rich!” Kasahara frowned at the outburst from Tezuka.

“Yes, you deserved it. You tackled me, you didn’t think I’d go down without a fight did you?” Kasahara questioned. 

“And you sent a horde of zombies after us!” Tezuka blurted furiously. 

“That’s enough, Tezuka. You aren’t helping things here.” Dojo stated. 

Kasahara spared the shorter male a glance before taking a moment to let their names sink into her mind as she looked each one up and down. Once she was satisfied that she had memorized the names with the right faces, she turned her attention back to Genda, ignoring the argument she was previously having. 

“Wish I could say it was a pleasure to meet you all… but I make it a habit not to lie.” Kasahara heard a soft snort coming from Komaki’s direction, as she turned to leave. She made it exactly two steps before there was a tight grip around her wrist pulling her to a stop. 

She sighed and turned to face the muscular man again, pulling her arm out of his grasp. 

“Please… we need help.” She crossed her arms and eyed each person up once again. 

Kasahara glanced around the woods before sighing. She hated being put in this position. She wanted to help, they seemed like decent people and she felt slightly guilty for what she had done, but she still didn’t technically know them and she didn’t want to put her friends in harm's way. She clenched her teeth at the bitter taste in her mouth as she spoke her next words. “Doesn’t everyone. Sorry I can’t help you. Better luck elsewhere.” 

“Look here you little brat, after the hell you put us through in the city, you owe us!” Kasahara turned her attention to the furious lady stomping towards her. Genda stepped in her way and shook his head. Kasahara watched as Maki huffed and returned to her position watching the woods. 

“Sorry, we’re all stressed out right now, especially with that huge horde of zombies we had to go around to get here.” She froze and took in the groups tightened shoulders, the exhausted look on their faces and the dark bags under everyone's eyes. 

“Wait… what horde?” Kasahara’s brain finally picked up as she turned her attention back to the leader of the group. 

“The one to the east of us. About a day's walk away…a couple thousand, at least.” Genda answered tiredly, she could see his mind already planning their next move. 

She felt her stomach twist at the news and watched as Genda’s expression shifted to a pleading one. 

“Please… will you help us? Just until the horde passes us by, then we’ll leave and you’ll never have to deal with us again. We just need a place to stay for a few nights...” Kasahara sighed and watched the rest of the group tense, waiting for her answer. 

She bit her lip, meeting Tezuka’s eyes again before slipping off her backpack. She set it down and pulled out the plastic first aid kit. Without meeting anyone’s questioning eyes, she opened the fully stocked kit and pulled out the cold compress. She felt the group's eyes follow her as she made her way to Tezuka, squeezing the cold compress as she walked to break the contents inside. They watched as she ripped the sleeve off of her shirt to wrap around the small bag. 

“Here, sorry.” Kasahara mumbled as she placed the compress against the taller males cheek. She smiled sympathetically as he winced at the touch before turning to Genda, letting Tezuka take hold of the compress. 

“Fine… But just until the horde moves by.” Kasahara ignored their relieved sighs as she picked up her backpack. She slung it over her shoulder and started walking away, hearing the shuffle of feet following her. 

“Now to surprise the girls…great.” She mumbled, already feeling the bruises Shibasaki was sure to give her. 


	2. Chapter 2

Kasahara was mildly surprised at how long it took for someone from the group to finally speak. They had spent the last five minutes in a tense silence, the only noise coming from the dry leaves and branches crunching under their feet, along the rare whispers shared between Genda and Maki, who were bringing up the rear of their six person march. In that otherwise silent environment, Kasahara decided to lead the group on a walk around the perimeter to check if any of the traps had been disturbed. Not that she mentioned her plan to anyone. 

“So… I feel that we’re all at a huge disadvantage.” Kasahara spared a glance at the brunette who fell into step with her. She didn’t have to look back to know everyone’s attention had shifted to the upcoming conversation between her and Komaki. 

“How so?” She questioned as she ducked under a low hanging branch.

“Well, you know all of our names, yet we still haven’t been given any hint as to yours.” Komaki tilted his head and she watched as he gave her a charming smile. 

Her eyebrow quirked as she paused and crouched to eye the trip wire she had hidden around the perimeter. “Iku Kasahara.” 

She could feel the confused stares on her back, so she shuffled herself to the side so everyone had a view of what she was looking at. “Tripwire. I rigged it when the world went to hell. It leads to a bell inside the house that rings whenever someone or something stumbles into it.” She glanced over at the group before pointing further down the path she was leading them. 

“I have traps set up everywhere around the house, both to notify us if someone is nearby and to catch small animals.” She stood up and brushed off her jeans before leading the group to the next one. 

“I see, so I’m not saying you can’t trust us… but why are you showing us your traps?” Komaki questioned as he fell into step beside her again. 

She side eyed him and checked the next trap before answering. “I don’t trust you.” She hesitated as she felt the group tense. “But… I’d rather you all know where they are so you’ll save me the trouble of having to rig them up again because you tripped and set them off. We’ve been through enough these past few years… if this will lessen the chances that they’re sent into a fit of worry...” Kasahara shrugged as she shot a smile over her shoulder at the group. “Then I’ll take that chance.” 

Komaki cocked his head at the mention of others but held back his next question as he watched Kasahara quickly round a bush. He watched as her eyes swiftly trained onto something he couldn’t see. He glanced back at the others to find them all wearing confused expressions. 

Kasahara had been looking around for the taught wiring indicating her snare trap. She felt herself smile when she noticed it weighted down from the tree branch. She rounded the bush and mentally cheered when she spotted the dead rabbit. Once upon a time she would have cried over the animal, but that time had long gone, now it was a luxury to get any type of meat. 

“Well I’ll be damned, nice catch.” Kasahara glanced over her shoulder and met Genda’s wide smile. She nodded her thanks before turning her attention back to the trap. Kasahara said a small prayer of thanks before she collected the animal. She was surprised by how big this rabbit was, it had apparently been eating well. 

“Hey… um can… you show me how to set this up?” Kasahara glanced up from her kneeling position and met the eyes of an embarrassed looking Dojo. She froze for a second before nodding and standing up, she handed the rabbit over to a pale looking Tezuka. She shot him a smirk when he quickly passed it to Genda. 

She spent the next couple of minutes resetting the snare and explaining each step to a surprisingly attentive Dojo. Komaki and the others spent that time challenging each other in spotting the other traps. Kasahara shook her head in amusement as she finished explaining and motioned for them to keep moving. She felt a smile grace her face at the sound of the others still playing as they walked behind her and Dojo. 

“So… this may be straightforward but… you look good.” Kasahara paused mid-step and felt her face heat at the sound of the others laughing behind her. She glared at Dojo who quickly raised his hands in surrender. “Not like that! I didn’t mean it like that...” 

Kasahara glared at the chuckling group before turning her attention back to the path ahead. She ignored the whispered teases sent Dojo’s way. She heard him clear his throat as he caught up with her again. “I really didn’t mean it that way. I mean, you do look good… but I was mostly talking about your appearance… God that sounds no different than before.” 

Kasahara snorted in amusement and glanced at the blushing and embarrassed man next to her. She noted the way he seemed to frown when he was embarrassed. She turned her attention to the next trap as he continued to stumble his way through his explanation. 

“I just meant… you’re awfully clean… and fit, you look healthy…” Kasahara nodded and continued on around the perimeter, aware that everyone was now tuned into the conversation. 

“You’re wondering why I’m not pale, skin and bones, with messy hair and gross body odor and why my clothes aren’t completely ruined, right?” Dojo gave a grateful smile at the save as he nodded. 

Kasahara shrugged and continued to walk along the perimeter, resetting traps and snares. Each new rabbit receiving a happy remark from Genda. “Well… my mom used to tell me stories about my dad. Turns out he was a very paranoid person, he felt he needed to be prepared for any little thing. She said he was like that since she met him back in high school. He got worse when I was born. Anyways, it’s thanks to him that I look how I do now. He used to stock up on anything and everything. When I was younger I always thought there was no point to it, and he would just smile and tell me it would come in handy eventually. Guess he was right.” Kasahara motioned for Dojo to set up the next snare, helping out whenever he seemed unsure. 

“Have you always lived out here?” Kasahara shook her head at Maki’s question. 

“Used to live in the city, I would come out here with Shibasaki and Marie whenever we were stressed. We always found comfort being at my family’s ranch, so when the outbreak happened we knew we had to leave the city. We packed a few bags full of supplies and made our way out there. We knew if we would be safe anywhere, that would be the best place.

Kasahara set the final snare and glanced over to the three rabbits Genda was carrying. She followed the perimeter a little longer before changing direction and heading towards the house. Genda cleared his throat, “So, what makes this place so safe?” 

Kasahara smiled and shrugged, “You’ll see soon. Especially if a horde of zombies are heading this way.” 

Komaki nodded at her answer before asking another question, if Kasahara were being honest, it was starting to feel like an interrogation. “Shibasaki and Marie… are they the ones you spoke of earlier?” 

Kasahara nodded and stretched. “Marie was my neighbor in the city, she’s the youngest. Shibasaki has been my best friend since we were younger. We all treat each other like sisters, honestly. Speaking of which… I need you all to promise me something before we go any further.” She stopped walking and turned to the group, who all watched her expectantly. 

“We’ve, uh… had a few run-ins with some bad people… It wasn’t pretty, and it’s affected all of us differently.” She commented as she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. She took a deep breath and met their gazes evenly, “So if any of you are planning on trying anything, make me your target.” 

Komaki watched the girl for a few seconds and felt his heart drop to his stomach. He glanced around at his group and noticed expressions ranging from pity to anger to down right disgust. Dojo felt his stomach roll as the meaning of Kasahara’s words slowly dawned on him. He felt his anger rise the more he thought of it. Without thinking he stepped closer to the taller girl and ruffled her hair. “Don’t worry… we would never hurt you or the girls you’re with. I know you have no reason to trust us on that but… I promise I will not let anything happen to you.” 

Kasahara jumped slightly at the hand messing up her hair and waited until Dojo removed his hand before taking a step back and looking away from the group. After a few silent moments used to regain her composure she cleared her throat and nodded as she turned her back to them to start walking again. 

Without another word Kasahara cleared her throat and marched on through the woods, “Come on… it’s not that much further.” Genda watched as she made her way through the woods and smiled at the sight of his group. Everyone seemed to reach the same conclusion he did. No matter what happened, none of them would allow any harm to come to the girls. Whether Kasahara saw it or not, they were all family now. 

* * *

The rest of the walk through the woods was spent in silence. Everyone lost in their own thoughts, Kasahara making sure to keep an eye out just in case a zombie managed to get this close to the house. She breathed a relieved sigh when she took the step that finally got her out of the woods. She felt the tension slowly bleed out of her body at the sight of the barn and house across a small field. 

Tezuka pushed through the last trees to take in the sight in front of him and frowned. “This is it? Doesn’t look that safe if you ask me…” He hissed at the sharp jab of Komaki’s elbow in his ribs before turning to meet Kasahara’s unimpressed glare. 

“Good thing I wasn’t asking then, isn’t it?” Before another word was spoken, Kasahara turned and continued the march up to the house. She still hadn’t planned how to break the news to the girls. 

“Might as well get it over with.” She mumbled as she walked up the stairs to the deck, before she could even get her hand on the doorknob, it was shoved open and she felt the pain of a booted foot hitting her stomach. She felt the wind knock out of her when her back slammed into the dirt ground. 

Kasahara wheezed and coughed as she slowly looked up at the front door. “Holy… fuck Shibasaki… What the hell?!”

“What the hell?! I should be asking you that! You radio in about possible raiders, I follow that ridiculous plan you gave me and then I don’t hear from you for the next four hours?!” Kasahara groaned as she forced herself to stand up. She glanced at the group who stood off to the side sharing amused smirks, while Shibasaki ranted her anger, making her way down the stairs. She watched as her best friend froze, finally realizing they weren’t alone. 

Any other time, Kasahara would have laughed at the startled yelp that escaped her best friend, and at the speed with which she used to run and hide behind her. Now though, it just brought up bad memories and tightened the ball forming in her stomach. She caught the surprised and sympathetic looks, Shibasaki was receiving. She reached behind her and took hold of Shibasaki’s hand, giving it a light squeeze. 

“Hey, um… we’ll be back in a moment, I should explain things alone. Give us a few minutes.” Without waiting for a response, Kasahara dragged her best friend back up the stairs and into the house. Shutting the door behind her, the second they were inside, Shibasaki freaked.

“Iku… Holy shit...What the hell! What’s going on! Who are they? Are they threatening you? Are you hurt? Are we in danger? Shit, we have to get Marie.” Kasahara sighed and took hold of her best friend, happy when the girl fell silent.

“Stop, look, I’ll explain everything, but to both of you. Not just you.” Shibasaki nodded and took off to get their friend from the bunker. Kasahara glanced out of the kitchen window, watching the group talk among themselves as they sat down. It didn’t take long before both girls were back and seated at the kitchen island. With a deep breath she made her way over to them and started explaining everything that happened since she left that morning. 

Surprisingly, once everything had been explained and questions answered, it wasn’t the newcomers that worried the girls. It was the news of the horde of zombies that was headed their way. 

“So it looks like we’ll have some company for a while. If… you guys aren’t comfortable having them with us down there… I understand, we can set them up in the barn or something...” Kasahara signed as she spoke, making sure to address both women. Before she had even finished signing, Marie was already shaking her head. 

“I agree. I know they outnumber us, and even though it’s scary… it would be wrong to put them in that kind of danger. Before you even say it, I know the animals have been fine in the barn the last few times, but by the sounds of it, this is bigger than the last few times.” Shibasaki stated as she thought things through. 

Marie nodded and bit her lip as she glanced out of the kitchen window. Kasahara nudged her hand and got her attention again. “Are you sure you’re going to be alright with this?” 

Both women watched as Marie fidgeted a bit before she took a deep breath, steeled her nerves and nodded. Kasahara smiled softly before getting up and hugging both of them. 

“I will keep both of you safe, no matter what. Come on, I’ll introduce you all.” Kasahara smiled again before she led both women to the door. She stepped outside onto the porch, Shibasaki and Marie standing next to her. 

She quickly ran through names, introducing everyone before she faced the group making sure her hands were visible to Marie. “So, after talking things through, we’ve come to the agreement that you all will stay with us in the bunker.”

Kasahara watched as everyone’s eyes fell on her hands, grateful the group at least had the tact to not mention anything offensive. 

Tezuka eyed Kasahara’s hands and then the barn, and house. A frown started forming on his face. “What bunker…”

Kasahara smiled and winked, “You’ll see. Shibasaki can you head down and get the med bay set up, oh and help Marie bring the robes into the entrance, and five sets of clothes.” She watched as the girls nodded and quickly disappeared back inside the house. She dropped her hands and turned to the confused group, without another word she turned on her heel and motioned for them to follow her. 

Kasahara was aware of how cautious the group was while following her. She led them through the kitchen, past the living room, and into Marie’s bedroom. It was a small room, sparsely decorated, when they had moved to this house they had agreed to leave the room with the entrance to the bunker to Marie.

“So remember when I said my dad was paranoid?” She turned and met Dojo’s eyes. She smiled as he nodded and turned to the closet. They watched as she knelt by the closet door and pushed on the baseboard trim. Dojo felt his eyes widen as the closet floor sank a few inches before sliding out of the way, revealing a staircase leading underground. 

Kasahara stood up and smirked at the surprised glances being shot in her direction, with an exaggerated motion, she gestured them to head down into the bunker. Dojo looked to the others before hesitantly taking the stairs down. Komaki followed soon after, with Tezuka. Marie and Genda shared an excited smile as they followed the rest of their group. Kasahara took a deep breath and brought up the rear, making sure to close the closet door and the bunker entrance behind her. She made her way down the rest of the stairs, leading into a small room with benches pressed up against the walls. There was a door to the right leading into the med bay and another parallel to the entrance, that led to the rest of the bunker. She stepped off the last step and bumped into Dojo. 

“Hmm, cozy down here.” Kasahara joked dryly as she maneuvered her way around the group of people. 

“As if.” Shisbasaki joked. “Here, I couldn’t find one big enough to fit Genda, so he’s going to have to stick with a towel.” Kasahara nodded and received the robes from Shibasaki. She quickly took the dead rabbits from Genda and handed them to Shibasaki. 

“You mind getting those cleaned?” Kasahara snorted at the disgusted look Shibasaki gave the animals. 

“Dude, gross… but yeah I guess so...” Shibasaki groaned as she headed out of the small room. Kasahara shook her head, amused, as she turned and started handing out the robes to everyone. 

“Sorry, but I’m not taking any more chances. I need all of you to change into these robes, keep your underwear on but other than that, make a pile of your clothes on one of those benches.” 

Genda took the huge towel handed to him and sent a questioning glance at the others before meeting the shorter girl’s gaze. “Why are we undressing?” 

Kasahara walked over to the door leading to the med bay and paused next to it, looking over the group. “As the only doctor here, you better believe I’m giving you all a physical before I send you into the rest of the bunker.” 

“You’re a doctor?” Dojo questioned, astonished. 

“Oh? Did I not mention that?” She smiled sarcastically before facing Maki. “You’re first, but make sure you all undress out here. I don’t need you contaminating my med bay. Once you’re changed knock on the door. I’ll see you all one by one, afterwards you’ll be given a new change of clothes and sent into the attached room. Once I’m done with everyone, I’ll be giving you a tour of the bunker.” With that, Kasahara turned and entered the med bay, making sure to grab the necessary papers to make files for everyone. 

“She’s kidding right? Who has an underground bunker?!” Tezuka questioned as he stripped off his shirt and tossed it in the same direction as Komaki. The men all faced one wall to give Maki her privacy. 

Genda snorted and stripped quickly. “Well, she did say her dad has been paranoid since he was a teen. I honestly can’t wait to see what his paranoia managed to create down here.” 

Dojo and Komaki made agreeing noises. “Either way, I must say we seemed to have lucked out. An underground bunker, a highly skilled fighter, and a doctor. I don’t think I ever want to leave.” Komaki stated honestly. 

“She doesn’t even look old enough to be a doctor.” Dojo mentioned as he tugged on his robe. 

“She just looks really good for her age.” Tezuka answered, getting a shirt to the face from Maki. 

“Careful, you’re sounding interested in Dojo’s new girlfriend.” Maki teased, much to the amusement of the rest of the group. Dojo glared, thankful she was already changed. 

“You’re right, I apologize, Dojo.” Tezuka apologized, slightly confused, causing the rest of the group to break into a fit of laughter, while Dojo cursed them all out. 


	3. Chapter 3

Kasahara set the small stack of folders and papers on the counter, next to the sink. She smiled when she noticed six pairs of clothing instead of the requested five. Kasahara grabbed the outfit she suspected was meant for her and slipped into the clean clothes before donning her lab coat. She made a mental note to thank Marie after she was done and took a seat in front of the files. She made quick work of fixing blank medical documents into each folder, making sure to label them with her new patients names. 

Once she felt enough time had passed, she grabbed the first file and opened the door, she glanced around and caught Maki sitting pressed against Genda on one of the benches. 

“Ready?” She questioned when she had the other lady’s attention. With a nod both women entered the room. She gestured for the other lady to take a seat on the bed as she grabbed the first file, “I’m just going to ask you a few questions first.” 

“Sure thing, you know, you’re pretty young for a doctor.” Kasahara turned in her seat to face her patient, keeping the file in her lap, and shrugged. 

“I get that a lot. How old are you?” Kasahara questioned. 

“You know it’s rude to ask a lady her age.” Maki stated with a smile. 

Kasahara sent the other lady an unimpressed glare as she waited for the answer to her question. 

“Right. Sorry, just a little nervous. I’m 38.” Maki answered.

“No reason to be nervous. Unless you have something to hide. Are you sexually active?” Kasahara continued as she wrote stuff down. 

“Oh… um, does that really matter?” 

Kasahara sighed and shifted her attention from the file to the woman on the bed. “Look, I know these questions are invasive and uncomfortable, but the faster you answer the faster I can get you through this exam. I promise you, nothing you say will leave this room unless you give me permission.” 

She watched as Maki’s body lost some of it’s tension. “I suppose you can’t just ignore the exam completely and just let me go on through?” Maki joked. 

Kasahara quirked an eyebrow, “No. I’m not letting anyone through without an exam. Now, if you don’t mind, we still have a lot to do, and quite frankly, I don’t think any of you should be stuck in those robes for too long. You might catch a cold.” 

She watched Maki sigh and rub her face. “Right, of course. To answer your question, yes, I surprisingly am sexually active.” 

“Are you on any birth control?” Kasahara caught the look Maki shot her, as if to remind her of the situation the world was in, and sighed. “Just routine questioning.” She made a note in the file and met Maki’s eyes.

“Is there any chance that you may be pregnant?” Kasahara watched as Maki started to shake her head no, before hesitating and finally settling on a shrug. Kasahara mentally cursed as she thought of her medical supplies and the inventory. Making a note to check their food storage for any baby formula. 

“When was your last period?” 

Maki bit her lip as she thought about that question, “Maybe a month or two ago now?”

Kasahara felt the shock of the answer shoot through her body. She took a deep breath and furrowed her eyebrows as she felt a headache forming. “A couple of months, and you didn’t think that was at all strange?”

“Well… I was a bit preoccupied with being sick and starving and trying to survive out there...” Maki argued as she watched the young doctor pinch the bridge of her nose.

“Is it Genda’s? Have you told him?” Kasahara placed the file on the counter and started pacing as she ran through different medical problems and scenarios with the new information. 

Maki twitched in irritation at being talked down to, “Yes it’s his, and no I haven’t mentioned anything. Hell, I didn’t even think about it until you started asking questions but it would explain a whole lot of things.” 

“Are you going to tell him?” Kasahara paused in front of the woman, watching as she nodded furiously and gained more confidence than she had shown throughout the whole time she had been answering questions. 

“Of course, I’m going to tell him… but I mean, we’re not even 100 percent sure yet.” 

“Even so, it’d probably be best to let him know as soon as possible, so that he can be there for you through anything and everything we’re going to have to go through to find out.” 

Maki nodded and took a few minutes to think through her options. She had been feeling a little ticked off at the fact that someone way younger than her had been lecturing her on something she should know all about. However, with the possibility of her being pregnant, she soon found herself completely ecstatic. “You’re right, can we… can you bring Genda in here… He really should be here for any more of this discussion.” 

Kasahara nodded, she couldn’t agree more. She made her way to the door pausing as Maki started to speak again. “Do you think you could… hide it from the others at least for now? So that I can talk this out with Genda first?” Kasahara nodded and opened the door, pausing again when everyone turned their eyes her way. 

She made eye contact with Genda and motioned for him to head into the room, “Maki wants you with her. She’s a bit nervous. Said she would feel better with you by her side.” She watched as the tall muscular man flushed brightly but held his head high with a huge smile, even while the others snickered behind his back. 

She made sure to close the door behind her, as she followed Genda back to Maki. Watching as the woman lit up when they made eye contact. Kasahara hated to admit it, but she really wished she had someone who could make her shine as brightly as Maki did when Genda was around. 

Pulling herself from her thoughts, she silently watched as Maki stumbled through an explanation of what had come to light. She watched as a myriad of expressions passed between the couple and felt her heart twinge in jealousy again. She pushed the feeling down as she stood up to dig through a cabinet and produce a box of tissues. 

As she handed the box to the couple, she sat back down in her chair and wheeled herself until she was positioned in front of them. She waited until they composed themselves to the best of their ability. 

“So, what do we do? Where do we go from here? What’s going to happen? What does this mean for us? ” Genda questioned. The perfect picture of a compassionate and caring, soon to be father. 

Kasahara took a deep breath and sighed, already seeing the plan of keeping these strangers for a few days before sending them away fall to pieces. She would just have to live with it, there was no way she was going to send this woman out into the cruel world if she was pregnant. Kasahara chewed on her lip for a bit before shrugging and deciding to think on it later, for now the couple needed answers. 

“Well… we’re still not entirely sure she’s pregnant. For all we know she could be going through premature menopause.” Kasahara stood up again and made her way to another cabinet, pulling out two pregnancy tests and handing them over to Maki. “Just to make sure both tests show the same result. You can use the restroom behind the door over there.” She explained as she pointed to the corner door, across from where they had previously entered. They watched as she made her way to the restroom. Kasahara decided to turn and grab Genda’s folder. 

“Might as well get started on your exam while we wait.” Genda turned his attention back to the younger girl confused.

“It’s best to wait until she returns before I discuss what happens next. That way I don’t need to repeat myself, and you both can hear the same answers.” She stated, as if reading the question on Genda’s mind. 

“How old are you?” Kasahara started.

“39.” She nodded and made a quick note, silently thankful she was able to get through the questions without any interruptions. Once she was done she closed up the folder and grabbed a pair of gloves. Kasahara made quick work of the physical exam, making sure to keep a sharp eye out for any bites. By the time she finished making notes in the file and pulling off her gloves, Maki stepped back into the room with a bright smile. Kasahara glanced down at the two tests being passed back to her. She already knew the answer, the tests just confirmed it, by the tight hug the woman was pulled into, Genda knew the answer as well. 

Kasahara set Genda’s finished file to the side and set to work on Maki’s again. She stayed silent as the two soon to be parents talked softly, speculating on the gender of the baby growing inside Maki. 

“Maki, can I have you disrobe, so I can finish my exam. Genda, these are your new set of clothes, don’t change yet, I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to have you all stay in your robes through the tour, it would suck to have you all change into clean clothes without a proper shower” Kasahara sent the couple a small smile once she saw their excited expressions at the mention of a shower. She handed Genda his set of clothes before turning to pull on another set of gloves. Maki’s exam took a little bit longer than Genda’s but filled with excited chatter from the soon to be mother. 

Once Kasahara finished filling out Maki’s file, she turned her attention to the couple waiting on the bed. She pushed down the annoying feeling of longing when her eyes landed on their intertwined fingers. Kasahara quickly discarded her gloves into the trash bin next to the counter before gaining the attention of the other two. She stifled a sigh and sat up straight, making sure the other two realized the importance of the oncoming conversation. 

“So, let me start off by saying, congratulations.” Kasahara started, watching the others pick up on her posture and letting their expressions match the seriousness of the one on her face. 

“Is there something wrong?” Genda questioned, confused at the slight bit of tension radiating from the young doctor. 

Kasahara pondered her next words for a few seconds before sighing and resting her forearms on her thighs. “I’m going to be completely honest with you guys here. So, do you want the good news or the bad news first?” 

She watched as Genda and Maki shared a worried look before Maki answered, “Bad news first. Then hopefully the good news will be enough to help us get through the bad news.” 

“Right, well bad news it is then. All pregnancies have some probability of complications. Given that we’re in the middle of a zombie apocalypse here, and your age… well, your probability goes higher.” Kasahara explained gently. 

Kasahara watched as they took in the information, “So, what’s our chances looking like here, Doc?” Genda questioned.

“In a normal situation, someone Maki’s age would have a 20 to 35 percent chance of having a miscarriage. In our situation, taking into account the environment and her age, her chances rise to the same percentage as women over the age of 45.” She explained. 

“Which is what, exactly?” Maki questioned, her hand squeezing Genda’s tightly. 

Kasahara sighed, “You have a fifty percent chance of losing this baby, Maki.” 

She watched as Genda took in the information before he turned to reassure Maki, “That baby is part you and me. Which means it’s a fighter and stubborn as hell. Don’t think of it as a fifty percent chance of losing her, think of it as a fifty percent chance of her coming into this world.” 

Maki smiled and gently elbowed her boyfriend in the ribs. “How are you so sure it’s a she? I think I’m going to have a beautiful baby boy.” Kasahara smiled at the strong bond she sensed between the couple and cleared her throat. 

“That being said, as you may have noticed, I don’t have the equipment needed to check for an ultrasound. I also don’t have any baby formula or diapers or anything a baby is going to need.” Kasahara started thinking of all the items the couple would need in order to raise their child. 

“Well, we will find a way… we always do.” Genda stated as he met Kasahara’s eyes. “If that’s all the bad news you have for us… I’m sure we can really use some more good news now.” 

She eyed the couple for a few minutes before smiling and nodding. “Good news is, I know where to get the items you would need.” She watched as their eyes lit up in hope before continuing. “I also, would be a complete asshole, and the guilt would eat me alive if I were to let you leave here. So, that being said, Maki, you and your baby will be under my care… for as long as you all would like to stay here. I’m not going to kick you guys out. Not when the horde of zombies passes, not while you’re pregnant, and sure as hell not after you give birth. This is by far the safest place you and your people will ever...” 

Kasahara was cut off from the rest of her explanation when Maki threw her arms around her. She glanced over Maki’s shoulder to see the wide smile on Genda’s face, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was a slight shine to his eyes. She felt her own smile form as she hugged the other woman tightly. They stayed in that position for a bit before Kasahara gently pushed the other woman away. 

“Thank you… you don’t know how much this means to us...” Maki said in a wobbly voice, Kasahara reached over and snagged a box of tissues from the counter and handed them over with a smile.

“Like I said, I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt otherwise.” Kasahara stated with a small smirk to let the others know she was kidding. She turned her attention to Genda, “I will however be needing the help of some of your friends out there to get the needed supplies.” 

“We’ll help in any way we can, if you need any help around here, we would be more than happy to earn our stay.” Kasahara smiled and nodded as Maki got her emotions under control. 

“Good, I’m sure the girls would appreciate that.” Kasahara stood and handed Maki her change of clothes before motioning the couple to follow her through another door. It was a smaller room that had another couple of benches against the walls. There were two other doors in the room, the first was to the left of them, it was a wooden door with a window on it, leading to a hallway. The second door was made of very sturdy glass and was flanked by a large window on each side, leading into another hallway. Genda took in the small room, letting his eyes linger on the glass door across from him, trying to make out the room at the other end of the hall with a similar glass door. 

Kasahara noticed where his attention rested and cleared her throat, motioning for them to take a seat. “Please wait here while I finish with your friends. I’d appreciate it greatly if you both would stay here. You’ll get a tour very soon, so save your curiosity for then.” She finished, making sure the last part of her statement was directed at Genda. She watched as he turned his attention away from the glass door and nodded, waiting until he sat next to Maki before she went back into her med bay. 


End file.
